Lifting jack



E. E. LONG LIFIING JACK July 4, 1933.

Filed Sept. 20, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet l Jul 4, 1933.

Filed Sept. 20, 1952 E, E. LONG LIFTING JACK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FLL gnwwfoz f 70 1 /096 5 Z o/ly 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 C R a n? 7.. M l u my 1 u m l u v N 1, wl W W. a Q l WM i WE [H \4 k 1 h V 0 W l u MUJ fl WN\\ l m I i M E E July 4, 1933.

Filed Sept. 20 1932 Patented July 4, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELDRIDGE E. LONG, or ,TEGUTDALE, OREGON, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF 'IO ANTHONY ZELLER, or TROUTDALE, OREGON LIETING JACK Application filed September 20, 1932.

My invention relates to my present United States patent application, as evidenced by Serial No. 614,143, filed May 28, 1932, upon Lifting jacks. I

In my present invention I provide means for locking the lifting chain to thereby stabilize the same when in full raised position. I also provide bracing arms for further stabilizing the lifting chain when in raised position.

In my present invention I provide a continuous track for-the storing of the lifting chain within the chassis when the chain is lowered, to thereby limit the length of the chassis.

In my present invention I also provide power for actuating the same. The primary purpose and object of my invention is the same as that of my present pending application.

A further object of my invention consists in providing a lifting jack having a maximum lifting capacity with a minimum,

length of chassis.

A still furtherobject of my invention con sists in providing means for stabilizing the chain by the interlocking of the chain when in raised position, and also provide bracing arms for further stabilizing the lifting chain when in fully or in partially raised position.

A still further object of my present invention consists in the application of power to the same to minimize the time of raising and lowering the load by the chain.

A still further object of my invention consists in so constructing the device thatit will be portable when being used, loaded or unloaded and it may be made to lie flat upon the supporting surface and in which position it is immobile.

A still further object of my invention consists in constructing the same of standard ized parts to adapt the same for mass and economical production.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in the appended claims. and a preferred form of embodiment of which is here-' Serial No. 633,977.

inafter shown with reference to the draw ings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the assembled device, illustratingthe same in lowered position.

' Fig. Qis a side elevation of the assembled device, illustrating the same infully raised, braced position. I

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, sectional, end view of the chain. This view is taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 8, looking in the direction indicated.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, perspective, end view of a portion of one side of the chain.

Fig. 5 is a perspective, end view of one of the longer links of the chain.

Fig. 6 is a sectional, side view of the assembled device, illustrating the lifting head in partial raised position.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, sectional, side view of the chain and of the gears that operate the raising or lowering chain.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary, sectional, front view of a portion of the chain illustrated in raised position. This view is taken on line 88 of Fig. 7, looking in the direction indicated.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary, sectional, end view of the assembled device, illustrating the rais ing chain in partially raised position.

.I ig. 10 is a sectional, plan view of the chassis, illustrating the same as having had the chain removed therefrom.

Fig. 11. is a fragmentary, sectional, end view of one of the sprockets and chain assembly associated therewith and adapted for being raised and lowered through the rotation of the sprocket and shaft assembly. This view is taken on line 1111 of Fig. 6, looking in the direction indicated.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary, sectional, side View of the guide or channelway through which the chain is made to move as it is folded within the chassis when the device is being lowered.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

My invention is primarily comprised of a chassis. The chassis is comprised of side rail members 1 and 2 that are made of structural material, as'angle iron. These side rails are fabricated together by end rails 3 and A being secured to the side rails, as by welding and by other cross supports, depending in number upon the length, size and capacity of the jack to be made.

Suitable journal hubs are disposed within the side rails to provide bearings for the shafts that are disposed transversely of the frame. A crank shaft 5 is disposed transversely of the frame and the same is journaled in hubs 6 and 7. Trunnion wheels 8 and 9 are disposed upon the outer ends of the arms 10 and 11, that are secured directly to the shaft 5 and form a crank shaft thereof. An arm 12 is secured to the crank shaft 5 and a hand manipulative lever 13 is hingedly secured to the frame. A link 14 connects the hand manipulative lever 13 with.

the arm 12 and the manipulation of the hand lever 13 partially rotates the shaft and places the trunnion wheels in position for rendering the device mobile when the lever 13 is moved in one direction and for rendering it immobile when the lever 13 is moved in the opposite direction.

A pilot wheel 15 is disposed adjacent the steering end of the frame and aids in steering when the device is being used as a mobile device.

I place a platform 16 upon one end of the chassis and I place a prime mover 17 as an electric motor thereupon.

I do not wish to be limited in the actuating of my machine by an electric motor, as the same may be done with equal facility by any other dependable power unit, or the same may be actuated by hand. A speed reducer 18 is adapted for being driven by the prime mover and I have found satisfactory results are obtained in the use of a coacting worm and screw, the worm being adapted for being directly driven from the armature shaft 19 with a flexible coupling 20 being disposed between the armature shaft and that of the worm 21. A shaft 22 is adapted for being driven by the speed reducer and the worm wheel may be directly secured and placed upon the shaft 22. The shaft 22 has a worm 23 disposed upon its driving end and a speed reducer 2 1- is adapted for receiving the power from the shaft 22 and for being driven thereby and for driving a shaft 25 that is disposed upon the worm wheel of the speed reducer 2 1.

A plurality of sprockets, here shown as two in number, at 26 and 27 are disposed upon the shaft 25. A shaft 28 is parallelly disposed to that of the shaft 25 and idler sprockets 29 and 30 are disposed upon the idler shaft 28 and the same are adapted for coacting with and being set opposite to that of the sprockets 26 and 27 that are disposed upon the shaft 25.

Coacting companion gears 31 and 32 are mounted respectively upon the shafts 25 and 28, and as the shaft 25 is power driven, the shaft 28 will be also driven through the coaction of the gears 31 and 32.

I provide a pair of sprocket chains 33 and 34 at either side of my lifting jack, and a solid chain tread is secured thereto, as illustrated in detail in Fig. 4. The tread chain is comprised of relatively short alternate bars 35 and an alternate like number of bars that are slightly longer, as illustrated at 36. The bars 36 have locking lugs 37 that outwardly extend from the primary shank of the bars 36 and outwardly extend from the bars 35. The bars 36 are longer than the bars 35 by the length of the lugs 37.

The back and front shafts of the bars 35 and 36 lie substantially in a common plane when the tread is extended, and particularly when the same is formed into a column.

A yoke 38 is disposed and secured to the adjacent ends 39 and 40 of the chain pile. A saddle 41 is disposed upon the yoke 38 and is rotatable relative to the yoke about any suitable journal support. The load to be lifted is made to come to rest directly upon the saddle 41.

In order to stiffen the column I provide pairs of sprockets, one disposed above the other and at the oppositely disposed sides of the chassis. These sprockets are disposed upon shafts 25 and 28 and upon shafts 42 and 43. The respective shafts 25 and 28 and 42 and 43 are spaced apart sufliciently to form a column of the tread and chain when the tread and chain are raised and/ or lowered between the respective sprockets disposed upon the respective shafts. v p

In order that the chain assembly may be tied together transversely, cross bars 44 and 45 run from one chain to the other, and are formed integral with every fourth bar 36. While the spacing of the transverse long lengths will entirely depend upon the load to be carried and the size of the chain, I therefore do not wish to be limited to any specific spacing of long lengths within the chain.

The alternate placing of outwardly extending lugs 37 upon the adjacent chains permits the lugs to interlock as the chain is raised, as illustrated in Fig. 7 in order that a solid column may be created at either side of the chassis where these lugs rest one upon gie opher and are interlocking, as disclosed in The chain column is supported upon the respective pairs of sprockets and the chain is prevented from being rotated when loaded through the combined action of the respective worm and worm wheel speed reducing drives.

Pairs of hinged bracing bars 46 and 47 are hingedlydisposed at the oppositely disposed sides of the chassis. The bars are hinged about suitable journal pins 48 and 49 respectively and the same are notched upontheir free ends as illustrated at 50 and 51 to adapt the same for engaging within and locking the chain into which the respective sprockets are adaptedto' engage; this prevents the swaying of the column when loaded and gives stability thereto. r

In a device of this kind it'is highly essential that the chassis length be reduced to'aminimum. I find that this can be accomplished by the providing of a definite circuitous route or channel, through which the chain and tread may be made to travel as the column is lowered into the chassis.

The chain is led along shoes 52 and 53 disposed within the base and at the oppositely disposed ends ofthe chassis. Curved shoes 54 and 55 are disposed at the ends and at the position of return of the chain and second base supports 56 and 57 are adapted to receive the chain after the same has changed its direction of travel due to the meeting of the same with the inner surface of the shoes- 54 and 55.

The free ends 58 and 59 of the chain travel along the top surface of the base supports 56 and 57 until the end of the same is reached, thereafter the same follows down through the action of gravity and engages the top surfaces 60 and 61 of the chain and the same is carried therealong until the raised column has reached its full lowered position. This provides for the reception and the support of three layers of chain within'the chassis and therefore reduces the length of the chassis by this amount. -Where higher columns and heavier chain is to be used a greater number of returns of the chain may be provided within the chassis.

lVhile the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein shown and described, as it is suscep tible of embodiment in various forms, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a chassis comprised of side, end and cross rail members, a platform disposed at one end of the chassis, a prime mover disposed upon the platform, a worm driven speed reducer adapted for being directly driven by the prime mover, a shaft driven by the speed reducer, a second speed reducer comprised of a worm and worm wheel adapted for being driven by the shaft, a plurality of parallelly disposed shafts journaled transversely of the chassis, one of said shafts being driven by one of the speed reducers, coacting gears disposed upon one of the pairs of shafts and adapted for driving one of the other of the shafts, companion sprockets disposed upon the respective shafts, pairs of chains adapted to the sprockets and adapted for being driven thereby, cross bars of uniform length and cross sectional area, and uniformly spaced apart secured to the chain, a like number of cross bars having lugs outwardly extending therefrom disposed between the last mentioned cross bars and of greater length than the first mentioned cross bars, a yoke secured to one of the free ends of the pairs of chains, a saddle superposed upon the yoke and journaled relative thereto, and means disposed in the side walls of the chassis adapted to form guides for the chain and for folding the chain thereupon and in a definite prearranged position.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a fabricated chassis, a plurality of pairs of shafts disposed transversely of the chassis and journaled relative thereto, an electric prime mover disposed at one end of the chassis, means disposed between the prime mover and one of the shafts for rotating one of the shafts when the prime mover is energized, coacting gears disposed between the driven shaft and an adjacent shaft for driving the second shaft in unison with the first shaft, pairs of sprockets disposed upon the respective shafts, a chain trained about each pair of sprockets, a column forming plurality of bars secured to the respective chains, said bars being adapted for interlocking with each other and for forming a column when erected, braces hingedly secured to the chassis and adapted for engaging the chain when erected and for maintaining the column in a stable condition when braced, and means for maintaining the free ends of the chain in an orderly manner within the chassis.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a chassis, manipulative means for rendering the chassis mobile or immobile, a prime mover mounted upon the chassis, pairs of chains disposed within the chassis, means-for manipulating the chain and for erecting the same as a column, said chain being interlocking when in erected position,

means for bracing the column relative to the on the chassis, pairs of chains adapted for being erected into a column disposed within the chassis, means associated with the chains for interlocking the chains when erected as a column, means for bracing the chain column when erected, and predetermined channels disposed within the chassis for storing the free ends of the chain when the chain column is lowered.

5. Ina device of the class described, the

'10 carrying interlocking chain treads disposed between the pairs of shafts, a yoke and saddle carried by the pairs of chains and the chains being secured together thereby, pairs of braces hingedly secured to the chassis and adapted to brace the chassis when raised as a column, and means disposed Within the side walls of the chassis adapted for folding each of the chains upon itself one or more times.

ELDRIDGE E. LONG. 

